Teaching Vocabulary, part 4 (Using Slang and Informal Language)

Hello everyone,

This is getting to be a lively discussion on vocabulary and classroom decorum. I include some exchanges below.

COMBE PREVIOUSLY WROTE: it is wise to insist that students use academic language in all discussions of sexuality--or anything that is sensitive or potentially offensive.

TEACHER: I disagree with your stance on this particular issue for several reasons. Sometimes implementing slang in the classroom can actually assist certain teachers in getting across difficult concepts to certain students. I must try and keep an open mind about these things. Therefore, I will not insist that all students use academic language in all discussions; it places tighter restrictions on my ability to reach some students. It is important that my students learn standard English; however, sometimes I find the use of Ebonics, slang and jargon helpful too. I will not eliminate it (100%) or insist that my students use academic language in all discussions of sexuality --or anything that is sensitive or potentially offensive because it is not safer to do this in all situations.

COMBE: Actually, we probably agree more than disagree. Sometimes it's necessary to "translate" for the students--from street terms to formal academic terms. Often, also, it's more important for a student to express him/herself than it is to insist that they use formal language. After the profanity-laced contribution is finished, I might briefly teach the correct language. (Sometimes I only say, "That was a good point--I wish it were expressed with less profanity." You need to weigh the individual needs of the student with the possible offense to the class or the possibility of establishing linguistic precedents--either too loose or too strict. It takes time. I just think that, in general, it's best to err on the side of teaching the kids language that will serve them in the highest levels of society (language that they need to practice), while letting them feel that their ideas are good.

Sometimes in my grading, give two grades--one for ideas, and one for how well they are expressed in formal language. Since the students understand that formal language is something that they are learning, not something that I expect them to know, they're all right about the corrections and the help.

TEACHER COMMENTS ON PREVIOUS EMAILS: I don't think teachers or students should be forced to say words which make them feel uncomfortable. As students progress through high school they will, inevitably, encounter wonderful texts with language and situations that may make take them outside their comfort zones. I think it's important to acknowledge that it can be discomfiting and also to analyze why certain words have such power.

In junior and senior level literature, when dealing with literary analysis, you are somewhat forced to deal with sexuality. It's actually great fun. Your students can talk about sex in an academic environment and unveil prejudices that they (and you) never even knew had.

P.S. I really enjoy this daily email as an exchange of ideas.

ANOTHER TEACHER: Last semester I had my students journal everyday. [One day,] when the students came in, ...the board...read, "Define the underlined word in the sentence"; then they read, "That's so gay," with the word "gay" underlined. Many remarked that in this context the word meant, "lame or stupid." We then had a great discussion of how the meanings of words change and why they change and how they are used. I then [asked] how [they] would feel if, instead of "that's so lazy," or "that's so dumb," people said, "That's so latin." The students commented, "Well, that's racist." EXACTLY. The class was reading To Kill A Mockingbird at the time, which uses the "n" word. It was a really wonderful discussion about how and why specific language is used. I have only heard the phrase, "That's so gay" in class once since then, and when it happened the students called the person on it, and they turned red and quickly apologized.

COMBE: Since the language is constantly changing--especially with sexual euphemisms--it's inevitable that we will all say something embarrassing or offensive. "Gay" is one of those words that clearly demonstrates etymology in action. There are any number of words that one cannot use without giving overt instruction on both the connotations and the denotations of the word.

Ironically, "That's so dumb" is in the same category. It formerly meant, "That's so much in the behavior of someone who can't speak properly."

But I digress. And I certainly favor richness of language. Keep in mind that the origin of the discussion is the idea that our students lack academic vocabulary (heck, they lack vocabulary), and that lack hurts them out of high school.

Jeff Combe